


Love is Warm

by InsaneNerdGirl



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Gen, I somehow managed to write fluff, No Angst, Philinda - Freeform, Philinda Secret Santa, and furthermore I managed to write fluff WHERE THEY BOTH SURVIVE!!!, because I'm so bad at fluff both characters don't always survive it, fluffy fluffy fluff, yeah I'm surprised too
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-22
Updated: 2014-12-22
Packaged: 2018-03-02 19:46:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2823878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InsaneNerdGirl/pseuds/InsaneNerdGirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for the Philinda Secret Santa prompt "Philinda + Snow + Laughter + Dancing"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Love is Warm

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to my dear Nolla the Banana Nut Crab and to atheistj over on tumblr for proof-reading this for me, and to the latter for the title suggestion.
> 
> Please leave kudos/comments and let me know how I did. :)

Melinda huddled deeper into her enormous coat as she walked through the snow. She had never cared for cold anyway, but today’s frigid weather was making her uncharacteristically unhappy. “Can we just have one winter where the world isn’t covered in snow and ice?” she mumbled grumpily under her breath.

Her breath misted in front of her, white against the blackness of night. The sides of her mouth softened and she took a deep breath of the crisp air. As much as she hated the cold, she did enjoy how fresh the air was.

Splat!

She froze, eyes narrowed angrily as bits of snow fell off her ear and down her collar. Slowly she turned to face her attacker, favoring him with a menacing glare.

A glare that promptly dissolved in a giggle, because Phil Coulson was wearing a Santa hat pulled down over his ears, over which reindeer antlers settled at awkward angles. And instead of his normal overcoat, he was wearing an enormous red and green striped sweater. “What are you doing out this late?” she called out to him, wiping the rest of the offending snow off her collar. “I thought you were Barton!”

“And would I be more or less dead if I was?” Phil asked, walking over to her.

Melinda pondered for a moment as she waited for him to get closer, struggling not to smile. “I’m not sure,” she finally said when he was within arm’s reach, “but Barton would have been smart enough to keep his distance.” And with a grin she tackled him to the ground, burying his face in the soft snow.

He let out a muffled yelp of surprise as he struggled to lift his face out of the snow. His flailing arms yanked off her beanie and he managed to knock her off of him. He got to his knees and then fell forward on top of her, knocking her backwards into the snow.

“Pinned ya!” he said with a grin, staring down at her. He felt her legs wrap around his waist and suddenly their positions were reversed.

“Pinned ya back!” she retorted with a smirk.

A moment later Melinda leaned back on her haunches and laughed as he sat up, making a show of grumpily brushing the snow off his sweater.

“You do realize that wasn’t fair, Melinda.” he told her. “I just threw a snowball, and it was ten to one that it would even hit you!”

She stood up, brushing the snow off her pants. “And unluckily for you that was the one in ten throw.” She offered him a hand to help him up.

“I knew I shouldn’t have been hanging out with Barton so much.” He replied, taking her hand with a laugh. “His marksmanship must have rubbed off on me.”

She gave him a sideways glance. “Pretty sure that’s not how it works, Phil.”

“Yeah, but I still hit you.”

She rolled her eyes and continued down the path. He fell comfortably in step with her.

“So what _are_ you doing out this late?” she asked after another moment. “And is it ugly sweater day or something?”

He laughed. “Christmas party, actually.”

She gave him an amused look.

“Okay fine, Christmas play we did for some kids. I was an elf.”

She let out a giggle.

“Please no short jokes!” he begged.

“Yes, because I’m in a position to actually make short jokes about you.” She stopped walking and turned towards him, chin lifted up to emphasize the height difference, eyebrows arched in amusement.

He laughed. “Well in my defense you’re scary enough that nobody would _dare_ call _you_ short! So I sometimes forget I’m taller than you.”

“And he thinks he’s a spy.” She said pointedly to herself as she continued trudging through the snow. “Attention to detail is necessary if you are going to be a one.” She commented over her shoulder.

He laughed, and once again companionable silence settled over the two friends. Large flakes of snow began floating gently down.

Melinda tilted her head and looked up towards the sky. “We’d better hurry” she commented, quickening her pace. “I think we’re going to be in for a storm!”

 

By the time they arrived back at their apartment, the snow was falling quickly and heavily. They burst quickly through the door, bringing with them a cloud of snow, stomping their feet and rubbing their hands together.

“I’ll get a fire going.” Phil said, tearing his gloves off with his teeth. “Can you get some hot cocoa started?”

“Let’s think about getting out of these wet clothes first!” Melinda exclaimed, swatting him on the back of his head.

He grinned as he pulled his Santa hat and reindeer antlers off. “The good thing about ugly sweaters is that everything underneath them stays dry.” He pulled the offending red and green garment over his head to reveal a perfectly dry Captain America sweatshirt.

“Well my more fashionable coat didn’t keep me from getting soaked, so your cocoa will just have to wait.” Melinda answered with an affectionate smile, patting his shoulder as she walked by him to the bedroom.

“I’ll have a fire waiting!” he called after her as the door closed.

 

The fire was crackling merrily by the time Melinda walked back into the living room, dressed in drawstring sweatpants and an oversized blue sweater and carrying two mugs of cocoa.

“Ooooh that looks nice,” she sighed as she sank down onto the sofa facing the fire. Phil sat beside her and she cuddled into him, taking a sip of her drink.

“See? Cold weather isn’t so bad. We get to cuddle in front of a nice fire when it’s cold.” Phil told her.

“Mmmmm,” she agreed sleepily, taking another sip of her drink. “But in the summer all of these layers of clothes aren’t necessary. She tilted her chin and looked up at him, mischief dancing in her dark eyes.

He looked down at her and as the two shared a tender smile the mischief left her eyes, replaced with something softer. Gently he took her mug from her and set both his and hers on the corner table, before holding out his hand. She placed her own in his and he led them off the sofa.

Her hair was still damp and stringy from their tussle in the snow, and her clothes were worn and a bit frazzled at the edges; but as the firelight reflected from her eyes and enveloped her in a warm glow, Phil decided she had never looked more beautiful.

She stepped closer to him and he wrapped one arm around her waist, and the two swayed to some invisible music, still lost in each other’s eyes.

“Cold weather really isn’t that bad after all.” Melinda said quietly, a spark of humor appearing in her eyes.

He cupped her face with his hand, and felt her smile beneath his fingertips.

“No it isn’t,” he agreed as he leaned in closer.


End file.
